The front door creaked close behind me as I crept in quietly, trying not to wake my Mom or Elijah. Both of whom were most likely still sleeping or at least had been when I had left.

My hair was still damp with sweat from the run I had gone on, while my clothes stuck uncomfortably on my body. I rarely would have chosen to go on one so early in the morning, but I had woken up early, unable to go back to sleep, and needed a remedy.

My footfalls were silent as I walked down the hall, the carpet soft underneath my feet as I reached my bedroom door. I paused just before entering, leaning against the door frame and gazing at the figure in my bed. I couldn't see his face since he had buried himself in my sheets, a strong and tanned arm being the only thing that was showing. But a giddy form of happiness rushed my veins all the same.

My gaze drifted, landing on the cassette tape on my dresser.

He loved me.

I shut my eyes, grinning wildly, as I tilted my head up towards the ceiling, fiddling with the pendant around my neck.

He loved me.

I was pretty sure that there was no way that I would ever forget last night. I could play back every second and every word in my mind perfectly. I don't care what science had to say about my brain function. Something like this...I would always remember.

With a content exhale, I walked over to my dresser, picking up the cassette tape. I traced the label on the tape with my pointer finger, before placing it back down with a small hum. I turned around, deciding that I needed to take a shower, and nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw a pair of familiar hazel eyes trained on me intently.

The fact that I hadn't even heard him move became unimportant as soon as Elijah's lazy smile grew when I wiggled my fingers sheepishly.

"Hi."

His voice was still deep and husky, like it usually was in the morning, sending a jolt down my spine. My smile stretched.

"Hi, yourself," I whispered, walking over, and perching on the edge of my bed.

He laced his hand with mine, closing his eyes shielding me momentarily from their wonder. He looked so peaceful, that for a minute I thought he had fallen back asleep, as the stream of light that came through the crack of my bedroom window haloed around him. His eyes opened however when I brought my hand up, brushing his messy hair out of his face.

"You need a haircut."

Elijah didn't say anything, only nodding his head in agreement, as his eyes pinned on mine holding an intensity of emotion that caused my heart to flip.

"I love you," he whispered, leaning up slowly onto the back of his arms. He touched his warm lips to mine parting them as he stole my oxygen. With Elijah, each kiss was different; but all of them left me with my toes curled, and my heart racing all the same.

"I love you too," I murmured, slightly breathless, my lips resting on his still. I pulled back grinning from ear to ear and the corners of his eyes crinkled, his cheeks dimpling, as his face lit up.

"I will never get tired of hearing you say that."

I smiled, planting small kisses all over his face, outlining his upturned lips. He laughed, dipping his chin and capturing my mouth in his.

"You should get back in the bed," he said breaking the kiss.

When he leaned in again, I let him pull me into the abyss of him, before I pulled back slowly. I hadn't taken a shower yet and probably smelled like I hadn't either. And I knew that if I continued to let him kiss me like that my concern for how I smelled would fly out the window.

"I am all sweaty and am pretty sure that I don't smell the best either," I said when he shot me a questioning look.

Elijah shook his head, his mouth was still dangerously close to mine. "I don't care, baby, I just need you right now." Before I could respond he closed the distance between us again, his lips fitting against mine perfectly, as if they were uniquely made for me. His mouth curled up against my smile, and he placed a kiss on the corner of my mouth, as I tried to catch my breath. "There. That's better," he said, causing me to melt on the spot. He grinned at my wide-eyed expression.

I didn't move, just watching him watch me, never wanting the moment to end. He was practically glowing and I knew that I probably looked the same. His hand trailed up my arm and back down. His pinky traced the edge of my hand and linking with mine. He brought our intertwined fingers to his mouth, placing a small kiss on my little finger, still not letting go.

They say that you shouldn't make promises about things that you had no control over. But silently, I promised him it all the same.

"Okay, I need to take a shower," I said and patted the comforter. His hand fell from mine, and I felt like a rope had been severed, even though I was only going to be five feet away. I walked over to my drawer, pulling out a change of clothes.

I could feel his eyes trained on me, his gaze burning my backside as my heart yearned to rejoin him back on the bed. But, the need to be clean and get out of these sweaty clothes overruled my heart. I turned, pausing when he raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, but hurry up. We have to make up for the lost time."

"You didn't even know I was gone since you were sleeping," I said with a laugh.

His head fell back against the headboard of my bed and he shrugged. "That doesn't mean that I didn't miss you." He picked up his phone, looking at it quickly. "According to the time, that was almost a whole eight hours that I didn't get to see you."

I smiled as he studied me softly, his eyes scanning my entirety before coming back up to mine. In all the times that I had ever imagined falling in love, I had never thought that it would be with someone as sweet and perfect as he was.

"Besides I did wake up when you were gone. At first, I was confused but then I saw this."

He held up the sticky note that I had forgotten I had left him just in case he had woken up.

Just then my heart triumphed over my need to be clean and I walked back over to him. "I missed you too." I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I promise that I will be quick. Don't move."

He chuckled, the sound resonating through the room. "I wasn't planning on it, sweetheart."

With that, I rushed into the bathroom, stripping off my filthy workout clothes and jumping in the bathtub. I was pretty sure that I took the fastest shower that has ever been taken in all of the World's history.

When I was done, I shut the water off, drying my hair until I was satisfied that it wouldn't drip, and pinning it up on top of my head. I quickly brushed my teeth, realizing that I hadn't done so yet, looking into the mirror when I finished. On the outside, I looked totally the same, but on the inside, I knew I had changed. I felt anew. Reborn. Alive.

I eyed my cosmetic bag, debating on if I should put on some makeup. I vetoed the decision, not feeling up to it.

Elijah was laying down again when I finally exited the bathroom. His eyes were closed, almost as if he had fallen asleep.

"Elijah?"

He didn't respond, and I was left wondering how the heck he had fallen asleep that fast. I made my way to my closet, trying to be as quiet as possible. When I was done, I made my way back over to the bed, peeling back the covers and lying beside him.

As soon as I did, his eyes shot open and he grinned, dragging me closer and I laid my head down against his chest. I knew he had been faking it. I exhaled as the speeds of our heartbeats slowly matched in pace, settling into an exhilarant rhythm.

"You took too long." I raised an eyebrow, and he placed a soft kiss on my forehead.

"I only took like ten minutes." I tilted my head upwards, getting a better look as he traced the lines of my shoulder blades.

"Ten whole minutes that I was here without you."

"That is so cheesy."

His lips puckered slightly. "It's true."

I shook my head, my mouth tilting up and a laugh escaping my mouth. "That must have been really hard for you, wasn't it?"

He faked a solemn expression nodding his head. "Agonizing."

I laughed, his deep voice mixing with my significantly higher one as he chuckled, in a melodic jumble of noise. I lifted my head again when I heard his stomach growl, his eyes drowning me in seas of brown, green, and gold.

"Hungry?" I asked, sitting up slightly so that I was hovering over him and could see his face more clearly.

"Like usual," he said, and I nodded my head in agreement, knowing just how true that was. There was a suggestive glint in his eyes, as he continued to watch me.

"What?" I asked and he smirked.

He reached out cupping my cheeks in his hand and pulling me to him. The motion was quick, and I yelped, laughing. The noise died on my lips as time stopped right there, the tingling throughout my body intensifying.

The feel of his frame leaning against mine addictively invade all of my senses, and even though I wasn't into drugs, I knew he was one I would never get enough of.

I felt like I was floating, as his lips defied all the laws of science, erasing the concept of gravity. When he pulled back, my eyes remained closed.

"Why did you stop?" I whispered, my thoughts consumed and completely captivated by him.

"Because," he said raspily, as I opened my eyes, "You are too tempting love." His eyes had darkened and he looked as if it pained him to have broken the kiss, as his fingers brushed over my lips.

"And that is a bad thing?" I questioned.

"No. But If I continue to kiss you now, I won't be able to stop."

"Then don't."

I leaned in pressing my lips to his, warmth rising through me as everything wrong in the world became right throughout the connection. My eyes closed, and I smiled triumphantly, thinking that I had swayed his mindset.

I moved, my mouth still connected with his, as I straddled his waist. But he swiftly flipped us so that I was lying beneath him, the muscles of his arms on display and holding a majority of his weight off of mine.

I smiled into his kiss, my body calm in a way it had never been before. When his head moved, bringing his lips down in a line I closed my eyes, my head pressing back into my pillow. I felt each sweep of his lips everywhere from the curve of my shoulder to the crevice of my neck, before on my mouth again.

Then he was gone.

"Hey," I grumbled. "Come back here."

"No can do. Your mom is only a few feet away," Elijah replied, dodging my attempt to continue at what we were doing. "You are too exhilarating; the taste of you on me is beyond tremendously intoxicating. I don't think that I can be a respectable guest if you were to continue to grace me with your lips."

I breathed out, staring at him. I dropped my forehead onto his chest, feeling him chuckle.

"You definitely stretched that," I laughed.

"Now why would I ever do that?" I could hear the laughter in his voice. "Everything I said was true."

I just hook my head with a wide grin. Who talked like that? Obviously him, and I absolutely loved it.

"You are a real tease," I muttered, inhaling, and taking in the scent of mint and citrus.

"But you love me," he added with a dazzling smile.

"I don't know why I do."

He shot me a disbelieving look, an eyebrow raised. "Oh, I think you do."

There was a playful twinkle in his eyes and I shook my head before I nodded pulling back slightly.

"You are right. I do."

His eyes shone, as he mirrored my elated expression. "And I love you."

I smiled, his words sending a beacon straight to my heart, as I pushed up on my arms. I patted the bedspread. "Come on then. Let's go get something to eat. I am hungry too," I said.

"Well I wouldn't say no to that offer," he said, sitting up and pushing the covers away from his legs. "How about I make something?"

"Well I couldn't say no to that offer," I said with a wink and he smiled amusedly.

We both moved to get up, exiting my room and walking hand in hand towards the kitchen. When we arrived, my eyes flew open in surprise when I spotted my mom perched at the kitchen counter. She had a book laid out in front of her as she brought a cup of coffee to her lips. I glanced at the old antique clock above the fridge and my eyebrows raised. No wonder she was up already, it was almost twelve in the afternoon.

"Goodmorning," she said glancing up, as we walked into the kitchen. She eyed me and Elijah's joined hands, smiling warmly.

"Goodmorning," Elijah and I said at the same time, and he grinned at me before placing a kiss on my head and walking over to my mom. My heart filled as his large frame wrapped around her smaller one, as he pulled her into a hug. A look of surprise flashed her face, before she smiled, hugging him back.

"Have you eaten yet? I was thinking that I could whip something up," he said when he resumed his position by my side, clapping his hands together.

Mom smiled. "No, I haven't, I was going to wait until you guys got down to eat. Please, feel free to make whatever you want," she said gesturing towards the pantry and the refrigerator. "Let's face it, Rowan and I both know that I am a horrible cook."

"That's not true," I said sitting down next to her, as Elijah walked further into the kitchen, looking around for the ingredients to a dish he hadn't disclosed the identity of. "You can make pancakes, and-"

"And pancakes only," she cut in and we both laughed, knowing it to be true. I laid my head on her shoulder, watching Elijah move around our kitchen. The image of him doing the same thing in a different house, but one that we shared together popped up in my head. I smiled at the thought, before looking back at Mom who was watching me with a soft expression.

"Well, I am grateful for your cooking skills either way," I said.

"Even though the turkey was practically unedible last night?" She asked, wincing a little. After Elijah and I had gone to check on her we had found her glaring at a burnt turkey, the sight causing both of us to burst into laughter.

I nodded my head. "Even despite that."

It was true, it wasn't a Christmas meal if something wasn't burned, overly salted, or underseasoned, and I didn't mind at all. Elijah excused himself, saying that he was going to the bathroom. I lifted my head watching him leave, my body relaxed and feeling uncharacteristically light. As if all my burdens had been lifted.

"What?" I asked when I looked at mom, to find her watching me, a strange expression on her face. She shook her head and smiled.

"Nothing."

Her hand raised as she brushed her hair out of her eyes, and stood up, walking her now empty coffee mug to the sink, and rinsing it out. She turned the water off, staring out the small window in front of her. I watched her, a little concerned when she didn't turn around and come back. She seemed a little off. Not in a way that was drastic but in subtle mannerisms.

"Mom, is everything okay?"

She turned, her eyes locking on mine. "You love him don't you?"

I flushed, not because I was embarrassed, but because as soon as she said it my brain when all fuzzy, just thinking about Elijah and last night. Even though he and I were both far from perfect, he was just right for me. "Yeah," I said. "I do."

Her mouth pulled upwards at the corners. "I know darling. I can see it in your eyes. Have you told him?" She came back to her seat, settling back in her chair, and closed the book she had been reading.

"Yeah. Last night actually." Her eyebrows raised as if she hadn't expected the answer, and I couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"Have you met his family?" She asked.

I shook my head. "No not yet, but he told me that his mom wanted to meet me, so I figure that I will be meeting her soon. She lives in California though, so he mentioned something about maybe going to visit during spring break."

Her head bobbed up and down. "And his dad?"

I fiddled with my fingers. "He doesn't really talk about his dad much, so I don't know. They aren't very close. His mom and dad divorced a while ago after the..." I trailed off not knowing if the car accident he had been in was something Elijah wanted to tell her himself. It was a big part of him and had affected his life.

Mom smiled knowingly, however. "After the accident that he and his family were in," she said as my eyes went wide.

"Yeah..." I said, surprise coloring my tone. "How did you know?"

A far-off look spread in her eyes, as she looked at her hands. "It was near where we lived so we knew about it" I nodded my head. it made sense, yet there was something about her tone that made me feel as if something was off.

My mind was deterred from the subject when Elijah walked back in.

Mom straightened a bit, and I eyed her curiously but didn't say anything. Elijah's hand brushed across the small of my back as he passed, and he smiled at both of us. I watched as he resumed his position, whisking eggs in a bowl, before chopping what looked like ham up and adding it in.

"Whatcha making?" I asked, walking up next to him.

"Have you ever had Quiche?"

He poured the mixture into a pan.

I shook my head. "No. I don't believe I have."

"Well, that is what I am making. My mom used to make it all the time when I was little, and up until I was like thirteen, that was all I wanted to eat for breakfast," he said with a light laugh.

'Well, I can't wait to try it then." Despite all of the food that I had eaten last night, well the food that hadn't been burned along with the pizza, I was still kind of hungry. "I know it's going to be great."

I looked around the kitchen, figuring I could make myself useful. "Is there anything I can do to help?' I asked,

Elijah shook his head. "I am almost done." He stopped what he was doing and looked at me. "Wait, do you guys have any cheese?"

"There is some in the top drawer in the fridge," my mom piped up from where she was sitting, causing me to remember that it wasn't just me and him.

"Right," I said, making a beeline to get it, and pulling it out.

"Thank you, Love," Elijah said when I placed it next to him.

I then turned, going to sit back next to mom, noticing the way her eyes were trained on him. Something was definitely off.

I made a note to talk to her about it later, figuring that now wasn't the time to have the discussion. Elijah was done preparing the food around 10 minutes later, and we all settled around the table to eat. Luckily, mom seemed to have returned back to her normal self, and we all ate reminiscing on the events of yesterday, a smile on everybody's face.

----------

"I like him," Mom whispered in my ear. Hours had passed since we had finished eating, and Elijah had gone to pack his bag since we would be heading out in a few minutes.

"Are you sure?"

She arched her eyebrow, sending me a confused look. "Yes. Of course, I do. I can tell that he cares about you a lot." She placed a hand on my arm. "What's more is that you are happy, and if he is the reason for the smile on your face, then how could I not like him?"

I nodded, my smiling growing, but my skepticism remaining unchanged. I just felt like there was something she wasn't saying. "Okay, good. I was worried that you wouldn't."

She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes all the way. "But I will tell you to be careful."

My stomach dropped.

"Careful how?"